Brake



No. 608,86. Patented July 26, I898. W. H. SAUVAGE.

B R A K E (Application filed May 14, 1897-) (No Model.)

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,136, dated July 26, 1898. Application filed May 14, 1897. Serial 1T0. 636,492. (No model.)

ments in brakes for the running-gear of streetrailway cars, wagons, railroad-cars, and other vehicles, the object being to provide a brake of tlns character which can be conveniently and quickly operated to apply the brakes by one half turn of the brake-crank instead of several complete revolutions, as required under the present system.

My invention also contemplates simple and eifective means for taking up the slack caused by the wear of. the brake-shoe or of any of the parts thereof.

To these ends my invention comprises certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts whereby the above and other important advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan View of a car-frame and its wheels, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2is a verticallongitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the brake-shoe removed and themeans for operating it. Fig. i is a sideelevation thereof; Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a hood or casing in which the brake-shoe moves. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the hanger to support the working parts of the brake. Fig. 7 is a detail plan view showing my invention as arranged for use upon a number of cars.

Similar reference-numerals indicate corre-- sponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the frame of a carcarried by the axles 2, which are secured to the truckframe, and 3 a shaft arranged transversely of the car and in-fro11t of the wheels, the ends of which are supported inhangers 4, secured to the frame in any desired or convenient manner.

5 represents my improved shoe adapted to and dirt may be excluded as faras possible from contact with the teeth of the rack and pinion, and the lower end of the hood is provided with an opening 7, through which any dust and dirt lodging therein may freely pass. The hood 7 has its intermediate inner portions cut away, as shown at 8,'and thesides, near the upper and lower extremities thereof, are provided with perforations, through which and openings in the upper and lower extremities of the brake shoe pins 8 are passed to secure the latter in place therein. The position of the brake-shoe with relation to the hood is such that a slot 9 is formed in which the pinion 6 moves. l I

The teeth of the rack are so arrangedas' to leave a space 5 at each side thereof,-and the pinion is formed with solid ends 6, which are adapted to rest upon the edges of the cutaway portion of the hood 7 and the sides of the rack, so that when the pinion is revolved to raise or lower the brake-shoe very little frictional resistancewill be offered thereto. The rack is so arranged as to start a little below the center of'and diverge "or incline upwardly away from the brake-shoe; but the rack and inner edges of the cut-away portions of the hood 7 will always remain parallel.

The hangers 4 are arranged so as to swing toward and from the wheels and are connected at their lower ends by means of the rods 10, having-a turnbuckle-l0- thereon with which to adj list the parts so as to take up the wear of the brake-shoes to keep them in an operative position with relation to the wheels.

For street-car use I generally apply -one or two pairs'of my brakeshoes to each car and connect the same by'means of the rodslO, just referred to, and the brake-shaft 3 is connected to the operating-crank 11 by a chain 11 and spool 11, which is securely fastened thereto in any ordinary or usual manner.

In connectinga number of cars and to make them all work automatically and independently self-actin g I use the arrangement shown in Fig. 7, in which I show a draw-bar 12, connected to the brake-shaft 3 by the chain 12 and spool 12, and give to the draw-bar a sliding motion lengthwise, so that when it is drawn out by the car ahead it holds the brakeshoes normally disengaged from the wheels, so that when the forward car slacks up and allows of free motion to the draw-bar the spring 13, which is fastened to the said spool 12, will cause the shaft 3 to rotate, letting The operation of my invention is as follows: I The mechanism is so arranged on the car that the brake-shoes stand close to, but clear of, l

the wheels.

In this position the pinions are at or near the bottom of the rack 011 the brakeshoes, and when the operator desires to apply the brake he gives the crank a partial rotation, which revolves the spool, shaft, and pin- 1 ions and causes the shoes to travel downwardly and obliquely toward and against the I wheels, the shaft 3 revolving in the slots 9. 1

There being no pressure between the pinion and rack by reason of their peculiar construction above referred to, which prevents them jamming together, it insures an easy and frictionless motion thereof. The crank is turned to the right to apply the brake, which moves toward the wheels in the direction in which the latter are moving, and all the effort required of the operator is to give the crank sufficient turn to bring the shoes into contact with the wheels, and as soon as they touch the wedge-shaped brake-shoe 5 is drawn down ward, the pinion acting as a roller, and is pressed into tighter and closer contact with the wheels without any efiort on the part of the operator, and when handled in this way the brake will instantly stop a car running at an ordinary speed.

The advantage of this brake over others is that in moments of great danger or excitement it enables the operator or bystander to stop a car or any number of cars by giving the crank a slight turn and then letting go, as it will take a firm hold after once being started. It can be applied with any degree of pressure and remain set until released by hand, doing away with ratchets or other holding devices, and the wear of the shoes can be quickly taken up by the turnbuokles on the rods above referred to.

In applying my invention where a number is applied.

of trail-cars are coupled to a motor their speed can be automatically regulated to the speed of the motor, each one braking itself individually, so that when a stop is made the brakes on each car will operate to prevent a forward movement thereof, and thus prevent a crowding of the cars ahead. Also, when the motorman wishes to slow down, each car only will check its own speed, and the instant any car holds back too much its brakes are released by the draw-bar attached to the car ahead.

It will thus be seen that my invention pro vides in a simple and inexpensive manner a brake which is durable and not liable to get out of order and which is so arranged that the speed of the front or motor car need only be regulated, all the rest acting in accord independently and automatically, as the motion of the wheels is always ready to apply brakes at the least slacking of the car in front and the draw-bar attachments always set to release them when the slightest pull forward It is also obvious that in case of the train breaking apart, as is often the case, the train would stop itself instantly and no connection between the cars except the ordinary draw-bar coupling is necessary, and should by any chance the chain connections break or become parted in any way after the brake or brakes have once started to set it will not prevent them from taking a firm hold upon the wheel, stopping them instantly to permit of repairs.

Modifications may be made of my invention, and I reserve the right to make such changes and alterations therein as may fairly fall within its spirit and scope.

The separation of the cars will cause the brakes to be applied to stop the cars from movement in either direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A brake comprising a shoe adapted to bear on the surface of a wheel or like article, an inclined rack formed on the rear side of the shoe and integral therewith, and means engaging said rack for forcing the shoe into operative engagement with the wheel with a wedging action, the incline of the rack serving to cause the entire bearing-surface of the shoe to contact with the wheel.

2. A brake comprisingabrake-shoe, an inclined rack formed on the rear side of the shoe, a pinion engaging said rack, and means for operating said pinion to force the shoe into operative position, the rear side of the shoe and the edges of the pinion being formed with plane surfaces, whereby binding of the pinion in the rack when operating the shoe is prevented.

8. A brake comprising a brake-shoe formed with an inclined rack on its rear side, a hood adapted to cover and support the shoe, a pinion working within the hood to operate the IIO shoe, and means for operating the pinion, the pinion being formed with a plane surface adapted to bear on similar surfaces on the shoe and hood, as and for the purposes stated.

4:. A brake for the purposes described, comprising a brake-shoe adapted to engage the front and rear Wheels, one of said shoes being provided at its rear side With rack-teeth, a pinion engaging said teeth and mounted upon a shaft supported in adjustable hangers, said hangers being connected by means of a rod having an adj Listing-nut thereon to adjust the shoes to compensate for Wear, and means to rotate the pinion to raise and lower the brake-shoes, substantially as described.

5. The combination, With two or more cars, of brakes therefor, each of said brakes comprising a brake-shoe having an inclined rack on its rear side and means engaging said rack to operate the shoe, a draw-bar connecting the brakes on one carWith the car ahead, and mechanism carried by the car for automatic ally moving the brakes on that car into operative position, the draw-bar being so connected to the car as to release the brakes 011 the car behind whereby when the car in front moves forward the brakes on every other car nected to said spool, the former being secured to a sliding draw-bar so that by a pull upon said draw-bar the spool will rotate to move the brake-shoe out of engagement with the 'Wheel, and a release of said pull upon the draw-bar serving to revolve the spool in an opposite direction through the action of the spring, to apply the brakes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

WILLIAM HENRY SAUVAGE.

WVitnesses:

PETER LONERGAN, J. K. P. KALBAUGH. 

